Ford reveals ballistic GT performance figures

FORD has revealed the performance figures of its not-for-Australia GT halo car, placing it firmly in the sights of the Ferrari 488 GTB and McLaren 675LT despite its EcoBoost powerplant having a smaller displacement and two fewer cylinders than its supercar rivals.

The 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 manages to put out a formidable 482kW of power and 746Nm of torque making the GT the most powerful Ford production car to date, enough to push it onto a top speed of 346km/h and to give the 488 GTB and 675LT some serious competition on the track.

In comparison, the Ferrari’s 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 makes 492kW/760Nm, while the 675LT manages 497kW/700Nm from its 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8. A more comparable engine, the 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 in the Nissan GT-R, develops 419kW/628Nm.

During development in 2016, Ford took the three supercars to the Calabogie Motorsports Park racing circuit in Canada to test their lap times with identical settings, conditions and race driver, with the GT lapping the course in 2 minutes 9.8 seconds, besting the McLaren (2m 10.8s) and Ferrari (2m 12.9s).

While zero to 100km/h times have yet to be revealed, the GT is expected to hit triple digits in the low three second range to match its Italian and British supercar rivals.

Part of the GT’s performance comes from its 1385kg dry weight, which is achieved thanks to the liberal use of carbon-fibre and aluminium in its construction, including optional 20-inch carbon-fibre wheels from Geelong-based manufacturer Carbon Revolution that shed 900 grams per wheel off the GT’s weight.

Ford executive vice president, global product Raj Nair said the use of weight-saving materials was a big factor in increasing the performance of the GT.

“The Ford GT is all about performance,” he said. “We achieved considerable weight savings with the carbon-fibre architecture. We then reinvested some of that savings into where it counts most – performance, specifically, the active dynamics. The result is an even faster car.”

There has also been a big emphasis of maximising the aerodynamic capabilities of the GT, with Ford aiming to create optimal downforce, drag and balance at any speed.

The GT has already gone into production at its facility in Ontario, Canada, and will only produce 250 examples per year for four years, for a total life span of 1000 units.

It is understood that the first three years of production have already been snapped up by customers, who have to apply for the chance to own one.

Pricing has not yet been confirmed, but estimates place it in the ball park of a whopping $US450,000 ($A597,150), putting it up against the likes of the Rolls Royce Wraith, Bentley Continental GT Speed and drop-top Aston Martin Vanquish in price.